Am I starving my bunnies?!

[Lucybunz]

Hi there! I have two bunnies. Lucy and thumper. They’re both between four and five pounds. They seriously act like begging dogs. Does anyone else have this issue? I feed them twice a day. About 1.5-2 cups of mixed greens , once in the am. Then about 12 hours later at night. They have hay all day. I also fill those twice a day (plus the hay that’s in their cage and the ground if I don’t get around to cleaning each day. AND I give them each a half carrot before I leave for work. They get a random little treat here or there. And when I have other veggies In the house they will get that during breakfast or dinner. ,,BUT anytime I walk In the room they run over (assumingly expecting food?). And if I’m on the couch eating anything they hop all over me and ta like a chore to snack in the same room. I obviously have never given them food from my plate or bowl.
Do others have this same problem or am I really not giving them enough??

[Q8bunny]

How is their hay intake? Do they get bunny pellets as well? If no pellets, they may not be meeting their caloric needs with only the hay they eat and the 2 cups of veg. How do they feel when you pet them? Can you feel their spines and shoulder/hip bones easily or is there plenty of padding? Keep in mind that some buns have more efficient metabolisms then others, and activity levels can also make an impact.

If you’re interested, check out the Bunny Info tab at the top of the screen and from there navigate to diet for the recommended amounts of food for your buns’ weight.

Having said that, my bun is 4lbs, eats according to guidelines plus a lot of orchard grass, and is in great shape (active and with just enough padding). And he still acts like a hungry orphan any time food (mine or his) is on the radar.

[Bam]

This sounds like normal, healthy bun behavior. To make sure you’re not starving them, you can weigh them once a week. Write down the weight, because it’s very difficult to remember after a few weeks. I weigh my bun in a bowl on digital kitchen scales.

If your buns have hay and water all day and they are keeping their weight on, they aren’t starving.

Do you see that they eat their hay? Sometimes one particular batch of hay can be snubbed by bunnies for reasons our rather blunt senses have no chance of detecting. If their hay remains untouched, I’d buy a fresh bag and see if they prefer that. Hay is the mainstay of their diet and the healthiest bun food there is. It actually has a lot more nutrients than we might think. It doesn’t look like much, but it has the perfect nutritional profile for buns.

[sarahthegemini]

A lot of bunnies act as though they are starving when really they are just little piglets! 

[LittlePuffyTail]

Mine are always “starving” and they eat the amount recommended by my vet and have free choice hay. From what I know of other people’s buns, this is normal.

[Lucybunz]

Thanks guys! That’s what I thought- that they’re just piglets!
I feed them plenty, they are the reccomended weight and are happy active nuggets. Just wanted to make sure! At least with puppies you can train them to not beg, I can’t figure that part out with the rabbits! Hah

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Lucybunz on 7/11/2017 10:31 PM

Thanks guys! That’s what I thought- that they’re just piglets!
I feed them plenty, they are the reccomended weight and are happy active nuggets. Just wanted to make sure! At least with puppies you can train them to not beg, I can’t figure that part out with the rabbits! Hah

If you ever figure it out, let me know! My rabbits cone running whenever I go in to the kitchen  It can’t possibly be to make myself a drink, wash up etc. Nope it’s to feed the buns apparently lol 

[Bianca]

Lol if I fed any of my rabbits, horses, cats, or dog the way they want me to I would have a collection of severely obese animals! sounds like you just have greedy rabbits (like most of us).

[Bam]

Bianca, that reminds me of sth my brother’s father-in-law Eric once said. He was notorious for slipping pets extra treats, he just couldn’t help himself. Visiting dog owners didn’t always like that and one specifically asked him not to feed their dog anything, because the dog would get too fat to stand on his feet.
-Oh, but he doesn’t absolutely have to stand, does he? Eric said.

Many, many pets, especially rabbits, I suspect, would agree with him.

[Bianca]

Haha Bam, mine too! I thought I was being neat and tidy keeping the hay bag in the study where the rabbits live. Worked for a while but then they worked out how to get in it. I checked on them this morning, just as I opened the door they were hopping out the bag together looking very happy. Apparently the hay in their litter trays wasn’t good enough despite being the exact same stuff!

[DanaNM]

Mine act like starving little piglets too, and they are definitely not underweight! Moose has even started trying to climb into the fridge, and will try to yank the pellet scoop out of my hand! 

I’m always thankful they don’t squeal like guinea pigs, as it would be quite the racket anytime I stepped foot near the kitchen!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Q8bunny]

Wheek wheek wheek!

Chewie got trapped in the fridge once (accidentally and for mere moments) because of his intrepid foraging.

[Author]

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